Building of First Chinese G-type Engine Confirmed

press release

Friday, April 20, 2012

Shanghai ceremony celebrates signing of contract with CMD.

At a recent ceremony in China, CMD (CSSC-MES Diesel Co., Ltd.) held the official signing of the contract to construct the first Chinese-built MAN B&W design Green Series 7G80ME-C9.2 engine. Due for delivery in June 2013, the engine is bound for a 319,000-dwt, ABS class VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) to be built by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (SWS) for Maran Tankers of Greece. The G-series engine is hallmarked by its SFOC, energy efficiency and ability to meet all Tier II criteria.

The ceremony was held at the CMD factory in Lingang, Shanghai. It was attended by a large audience of CMD staff and partners, including representatives from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard, Maran Tankers and MAN Diesel & Turbo, all of whom celebrated the event with commemorative speeches.

Ceremony themes

In his speech at the ceremony, Qin Wenquan, Chairman of CMD, described the 7G80ME-C9.2 engine – rated at 31,150KW – as “a new, green, marine diesel engine with an ultra-long-stroke and lower speed that follow the design principles of the Mark 9 engine series.” He further stated: “The G-type engine is a realisation of the most advanced technology, offering advantages in fuel consumption, exhaust emission and energy efficiency.” He ended his speech by stating that the order for the 7G80ME-C9.2 engine – the first such order in China – showcases CMD’s ability to build large-bore, low-speed diesel engines.

Goetz Kassing, Managing Director of MAN Diesel & Turbo, China noted the country’s and indeed Shanghai’s unique maritime heritage in his speech, particularly mentioning the juxtaposition of the Yangtze river, Yangshan deep-water port, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard, Shanghai Maritime University and CMD, one of the world´s most modern facilities for the production of two-stroke engines. He concluded by praising the cooperation between CMD, MAN Diesel & Turbo, Shanghai Waigaoqiao and Maran Tankers and affirmed his company’s strong belief in building engines as close as possible to ship construction sites. He called CMD “a highly reputable engine builder” and portrayed the company’s recent success as a clear sign of its competitiveness in today’s international market.

G-type efficiency

CMD Chairman Qin Wenquan also used his speech in Lingang to compare an MAN B&W 7S80ME-C9.2 engine and a G80 engine installed aboard a 319,000-dwt VLCC, where the G80 engine has a greater efficiency of 1%. Assuming optimum running conditions, including an optimum propeller set-up, propeller efficiency can be improved by about 3.6%. Under the same ship-speed conditions, overall running costs can accordingly be reduced by 4.6%, a significant saving that MAN Diesel & Turbo figures suggest can even be bettered, depending on individual circumstances.

Again, under the same ship-speed conditions, the EEDI would be reduced by some 8.2% when using the G80 as opposed to S80 engine. Qin Wenquan therefore concluded that the G80ME-C9.2 engine fulfils the demands of high efficiency ships, ensuring that it will eventually become the natural choice for VLCC vessels. Goetz Kassing backed this analysis up, observing that the G80’s longer stroke results in a lower rpm for the engine driving the propeller: a reduction from 78 rpm for the S80 engine to 68 rpm for the G80. He further noted that the lower optimum engine speed allows the use of a larger propeller. This, ultimately, is significantly more efficient in terms of engine propulsion and, together with an optimised engine design, reduces fuel consumption and reduces CO2 emissions.Kassing stated that just as MAN B&W S-engines had become first choice for container ships, that so, over time, would G-engines become first choice for bulkers, tankers and even some box ships.

The G-type program

The G-type programme entered the market in October 2010 with the entry of the G80ME-C9 model. MAN Diesel & Turbo subsequently expanded the ultra-long-stroke programme in May 2011 with the addition of G70ME-C9, G60ME-C9 and G50ME-B9 models. The G-types have designs that follow the principles of the large-bore, Mark 9 engine series that MAN Diesel & Turbo introduced in 2006. Their longer stroke reduces engine speed, thereby paving the way for ship designs with unprecedented high-efficiency.